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MONTHLY JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE. 



and successful in the career of rapine and extermination of their own species ! 

 Thus, wherever the more enlightened and polished European has gotten foot- 

 hold, the aboriginal has fallen by his deadly weapons, like the trees of the for- 

 est before the ax of the white man. Those whom his violence has not exter- 

 minated, his contagious vices have melted away as snow is melted by the sun. 

 Even now, on this " day of our Lord," and of the boasted progress of Christianity 

 and Gospel light, see us — republican, agricultural America — self-imposing a tax 

 of $100,000,000, raising immense armies, and sending ships even round the 

 Capes, loaded with Christian men, and all the engines of destruction, to conquer 

 distant territories by fire and sword ! from a poor, benighted, ignorant and dis- 

 tracted people. How much more magnanimous and Christian-like — how much 

 more in keeping Avith the spirit of the age, and our boasted mission of liberty 

 and civilization — how much more economical, in the fullness of our strength, 

 to have forgiven them the debt! When will agriculturists, who ultimately pav 

 all its expenses, take the government in their own hands ? 



CURBS. 



AN APPARATUS EITHER TO GIVE PRESSURE, OR FOR TUE APPLICATION OF TOPICAL 

 REMEDIES, TO CURBS. 



Those who were conversant with what was transpiring on 

 the turf in the days of Black Maria, Shark, and other of the 

 get of Eclipse, will remember how much talk and excite- 

 ment there was about the supposed tendency to curb, on the 

 part of the Eclipse stock. Several of his get were reported 

 to have sprung a curb at very critical periods in their life 

 and " performance on the stage." 



The " Veterinary Record " gives the following article on 

 the subject : 



Mr. Robb : A curb is often viewed as !v very simple affnir l)y some 

 persons, and it may be so to a horse used only for slow work ; but to 

 a hunter, during the season, it is of serious moment. The usual treat- 

 ment for curbs may he said to consist in blistering and firing. Pres- 

 sure, however, has been repeatedly suggested, ;ind, on a horse of my 

 ovim, I once endeavored to obtain it by employing sheet lead, and to 

 some extent I succeeded. That the experiment did not succeed per- 

 fectly, I attribute to the difficulty I had of fixing any substance upon 

 the hock -joint, iuid the oliject of the apparatus I now present to the 

 Association is to overcome this obstacle. It is the invention of an old 

 friend of mine, Mv. Airil, of Glasgow, a gentleman well known in the 

 liunting-lield. By means of this instrument he readily obtains pres- 

 sure, and, as he conceives, gets ri<l of the lameness arising from a curb, without depriving 

 the animal of that walking exercise which is so essential to the maintenance of a hunter in 

 conilition. The instnnneat almost speaks for itself: it consists of an iron ])late curved in 

 some measure to th(> form of the posteiior part of tlie hock, and sujiported Ivy an iron bar, 

 w^hich is attached to tlio ])late by means of a hinge. The lower end of the bar is inserted 

 into a strap, wiiicli is fixed around the inlijrior part of the metatarsal bone, and above the 

 pastern joint. On either side of the plate there are holes by which it is fastened around the 

 hock, and by which the pre.ssure can be regidated. By inserting any .siibsumce between 

 the joint and tiie plate, pressure to any extent, and equal on every part, may be gained ; or, 

 if tliis be contra-indicated, we are enabled to keep a wet sponge uixm the pint, or apply iiny 

 agent we desire. 



I thiiik the invention merits attention ; and I am assured by those who have tried this in- 

 Btrumcnt, that by its use horses have been able to follow the hounds, which only a week 

 before had sprung a curb. During the hunting .-ica^on. thereflire, its employment must bo 

 of service; but when tlie suunncir came, I should fire the h.)rse and luni him out. 

 (46i!) 



